Comments on Haq's Musings: Is US Headed Toward Dangerous Regional War?

it needs the big double CC'S- cooperation and coor...

2008-10-10T12:29:00.000-07:00

it needs the big double CC'S- cooperation and coordination. America needs to adknowledge the sacrifices Pakistan is making on its behalf. that drone attacks are putting unnecessary pressure on an already crippled government. if this is a tactic by the new government and the U.S then its mindless and suicidal. they shouldn't be adding to the long list as to why the Pakistani's mistrust the U.S. especially when its so pivotal to have the Pakistani people support this fight. America needs to remain in Afghanistan while supplying aid and intellegence for the Pakistani Military to use in FATA.the U.S. on the same note should supply real aid to Pakistan. what the U.S. has been giving is the equivalent to a legal bribe. propping up whatever government and not ensuring that the money reaches the Pakistani people or used effectively. but the blame must stop, this division only empowers the very people that are killing innocent Pakistanis. despite the past mistrust the U.S has for Pakistan and vice-versa. the answer is obvious together we stand divided we fall. this statement is especially true to the Pakistani's. now is not the time for bitter infighting, THE COUNTRY IS BURNING.

Libertarian,I agree that Pakistani leadership of t...

2008-10-10T11:18:00.000-07:00

Libertarian,
I agree that Pakistani leadership of the past shares responsibility for the current mess we are in, starting from Yahya to Bhutto to Zia and so on. Zia and his cronies( including Sharif), most of all, because they gave us the "gift" of violent "Jihad" to consolidate Zia's rule.

But I disagree with you on your assessment of the current situation. If you look at lessons of history, you will see that a narrow band of fanatics have succeeded in acquiring great power and control of nations. It's a mistake to underestimate the potential for incalculable harm from Al Qaueda and Taliban as they gain the sympathies of the population because of perceived foreign occupation and continuing losses of civilian lives, compounded by the growing refugee crisis.

Nobody gave Khmer Rouge a chance before the US intervention in Cambodia. But it all changed as long after the US left the region.
There are very far reaching, unintended consequences of US and Pak actions today that must not be ignored.

The situation on the ground is changing very rapidly and it can easily spiral out of control as the Pakistani state (including civilian and military authorities )get ignored and sidelined by unilateral US actions.

To an outside observer, it seems like Pak establis...

2008-10-10T11:04:00.000-07:00

To an outside observer, it seems like Pak establishment and US have agreed on a bifurcation of fight against Taliban where by a part of tribal al-qaeda strongholds will be targeted by persistent US air-strikes+few ground ops.In Bajour etc, Pak military will unleash its firepower.The public spat seems just for domestic consumption, otherwise why Pak is so worried about sovereignty when all the while it was not even administering those autonomous areas.US and Pak now needs each others co-operation really badly in short-term with existential threats.A next Taliban regime may not be exactly a Pak puppet, the string pullers of that type of regime will be fully al-qaeda and other rich Arab volunteers.An Iraqi type settlement looks remote given that in Iraqi scenario there was high proportion of nationalist elements in insurgency and al-qaeda component was acting independently and involved in just obscene mass casualty terror.

Hmmm ... so Ms Lodhi is on the bandwagon that plac...

2008-10-10T09:35:00.000-07:00

Hmmm ... so Ms Lodhi is on the bandwagon that places all culpability for "destabilization" on the clueless Americans. Nice going of washing her hands off this mess - given she was in a position of considerable influence.

The Pakistani state has mastered the art of holding a gun to its own head when it is not holding a gun to someone else's. There was Musharraf - supposedly the only bulwark between a rational Pakistan and a nuclear Talibanised state. Now Zardari is the hero who's defending the world against the same scenario. It's a tired charade - a bluff that Obama's likely going to call. Fazlullah and Mehsud are not getting a red button any time soon with the Army and the rich feudals around.

Zubia,I think Ms. Lodhi and her co-author are argu...

2008-10-10T09:13:00.000-07:00

Zubia,
I think Ms. Lodhi and her co-author are arguing in this piece that the entire region will be destabilized with very long-term consequences for the world if the US pursues the expansion of conflict into Pakistan. Her example is Khmer Rouge in Cambodia and the "killing fields" that followed US withdrawal from Indochina. A similar scenario could unfold in Pakistan with the radical Muslims (Al-Qaeda and Taliban) taking over a nuclear-armed nation of 160m people and re-enacting the "killing fields" scenario in Pakistan and other parts of the world. It would be far more damaging than what took place in Indochina.

So Pakistan's isn't safe on both borders now!Is it...

2008-10-10T08:58:00.000-07:00

So Pakistan's isn't safe on both borders now!
Is it sure that if they leave Afghanistan they'll leave Pakistan too?
Because Obama and McCain both aren't ready,they haven't said anything like that.They want to leave Afghanistan but not Pakistan though.